Josh Sweat looks to rebound for the Eagles: ‘I’m ready to have my best season yet’

This offseason, in the lead-up to his seventh year with the Eagles, Josh Sweat sought a change.

The 27-year-old outside linebacker parted ways with his jersey No. 94 of the last five years and snagged No. 19, which was last worn by now-No. 16 Tanner McKee. Sweat said there was nothing wrong with his old number, but he wanted something fresh for the new season.

“I just wanted to feel new,” said Sweat, who spoke for the first time since the conclusion of the 2023 season on Monday. “That’s it.”

When it comes to his performance on the field, Sweat will look to establish something new, too — consistent production, which eluded him in the final eight games of the 2023 regular season. He didn’t record a sack in that span after collecting 6½ through the first nine games, mirroring the struggles of the 30th-ranked Eagles defense.

When asked exactly what went wrong in the final stretch of games on an individual level, Sweat didn’t specify, acknowledging in a general sense that things didn’t go his way. While he generated a career-high 68 pressures, according to Pro Football Focus, 10% of them resulted in sacks.

Now, as the most veteran Eagles pass rusher after Brandon Graham, Sweat is setting high expectations for himself in 2024.

“I still feel young as hell, though,” Sweat said. “Time flew, but I’m ready to have my best season yet.”

Just four months ago, Sweat’s future with the Eagles was in doubt as he approached the final year of his contract. NFL sources told The Inquirer at the time that the Eagles had received calls from teams interested in acquiring Sweat and that they had given the pass rusher permission to seek a potential partner.

His counterpart, Haason Reddick, found himself in a similar situation as a candidate for a trade. Ultimately, Sweat agreed to restructure the final year of his deal, and general manager Howie Roseman traded Reddick to the New York Jets. The Eagles also signed former Jets pass rusher Bryce Huff to a three-year, $51.1 million contract, giving Sweat a new sidekick.

The final year of Sweat’s contract now comes with a maximum value of $13 million, with $10 million guaranteed. Originally, Sweat did not have any guaranteed money in the last year of his deal. Regardless, he said that he wasn’t fixated on his contract situation in the aftermath of 2023.

“I let my agent handle that with those guys,” Sweat said. “I just wanted to play. I didn’t even really think about it in the offseason.”

Similarly, Sweat said he “didn’t even think about” whether he would be back with the Eagles this season. Instead, he said he focused on putting in the work necessary to play his best in 2024.

Even in a contract year, Sweat said that he doesn’t feel any more motivated than he typically does at the outset of a season. He added that he feels like he has something to prove every year, not just this year.

“Just getting better,” Sweat said. “That’s what I really like to do, man. That’s how I measure myself. I want to see if I can just keep pushing, pushing the bar up. You know what I mean? I’m just trying to set it higher every time for myself.”

Sweat will have a chance to reestablish himself under the leadership of defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, who boasts a combined 23 years of NFL experience as a head coach or a coordinator. He said his job in Fangio’s scheme is mostly the same compared to his experiences in past Eagles defenses — “I don’t have to do anything out of the ordinary,” he said. “It’s just play defensive end. Play outside linebacker.”

Still, Sweat is getting acclimated to working with an old-school coach, which comes with a different kind of approach to the day to day.

“I mean, it might feel a little bit more structured, for sure,” Sweat said. “I mean, everything’s like, ‘I want this. Boom. That’s how I want it.’ And we just move on. I think that’s clean-cut. I think that’s a good thing. There’s no gray areas. Just, ‘Here’s what I want. Let’s do it.’”

Sweat’s showing in 2023 marked an underwhelming follow-up to his career-best season a year earlier. He helped the defense in the regular season that preceded their Super Bowl run by posting 11 sacks, which tied for second on the team.

What does Fangio want to see from Sweat to indicate that he’s still capable of performing up to 2022 standards?

“Just what your eyes are showing you,” Fangio said. “Movement number one, probably movement number one, two, and three. And how he’s picking up what we’re doing and how long can he go. You know, his conditioning.”

Through four practices, Sweat said he’s the “smoothest dude out there.” As camp continues, Sweat will look to show that he’s capable of putting it all together for a better outcome in 2024.

“I always improve,” Sweat said. “I know that. And I know how I approach my offseason every year. So I know I’m better. I will be better. That’s just how I do it every year.”